One of my favorite traditions is my annual overnight delivery of my first batch of veggies to my octogenarian grandparents in South Carolina. Every bit of the process is a delight, from anxiously waiting for the first blush of tomato red, the joy of picking, the wrapping, and the happy heart I get thinking about [...]

As summer approaches, it is time to garden! Even if you only have room for a few plants–plant something! It’s one of my secrets to a happy life. My theory is that taking care of something living brings more life to your life. I got a little too eager beaver this year and planted my [...]

May 7th is National Public Gardens Day – created to raise awareness of America’s public gardens and the various roles they play in our lives. So, if you’re not out planting your garden this weekend (like me!), get out and visit one of your local green treasures. To find a spectacular garden near you, check [...]

5 THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR THE PLANET 1. Plant a garden. (Going vegetarian is the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint, but just becoming a “locavore” and eating food grown within a 100 miles from your home is a start.) 2. Cut down on plastic. (Make the Plastic Pledge. Did you know 8% [...]

Have you seen The King of Kong? It’s a brilliant (and hilarious) documentary about one of the greatest rivalries in the world: the heated competition between Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe to be the greatest Donkey Kong player in history. The highest score ever was 1,050,200…until Hank Chien, a doctor from Queens, New York, came [...]

Rocks, clumps of stubborn grass, broken glass, and an endless supply of gooey earthworms were in the patch of fertile ground we’re calling Edgewater Farm’s “vineyard.” 75 vines arrive in early May and, oh, the prep work. Scott was excited to see each worm since the grape vine catalog said “earthworms mean great soil.” Every [...]

EASTER BUNNY HOPS BY EDGEWATER FARM. Today, we were working on the farm (spreading 21 bags of mulch, readying the vineyard for the arrival of 75 grape vines, and tilling the vegetable garden), when what hops down the driveway… but the EASTER BUNNY! Bunny stayed long enough for photos, but then hopped back up the [...]

5 THINGS IN YOUR HOUSE you should be cleaning with*: 1) Lemons (a natural anti-bacterial/disinfectant, great to clean chopping blocks, also lemon juice during laundry rinse cycle brightens whites) 2) Vinegar (bathroom cleaner, including grout -let set, then use toothbrush) 3) Salt (swish around inside a dirty vase and using as scrub removes caked on [...]

DID YOU KNOW? That before the Griswold’s, America began tripping the #Christmas electric light fantastic rather simply on December 22, 1882, in the apartment of Edward H. Johnson, an inventor and the business partner of Thomas Edison. In a spirited burst of ingenuity, Johnson designed eighty red, white, and blue electric light bulbs the size [...]

#Christmas ideas. We all want to find the joy in the holidays, but let’s face it, we don’t have a lot of time. An easy, yet thoughtful gift, is a potted bulb. I love potting amaryllis bulbs in a fun container like a quart-sized paint can, sealing the lid, and shipping it to my grandmother. [...]